


Marinette Dupain-Cheng

by GaylaTM



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Maribat - Fandom, Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Chloe Bourgeis Redemption, Daminette - Relationship - Freeform, F/F, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, I refuse to tag all the classmates, I'm giving these kids the complexity they DESERVE, Jesus Christ There Are So Many Characters, M/M, Minor Love Square Shenanigans, Multi, OC is the guardian of the miraculous, Ships aren't very important here, Slow Burn, They don't even go to Gotham until chapter 5, because Marinette has way too much on her plate already, fuck the writers, maybe chapter 6, more tags to come, what the fuck am I doing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-24
Updated: 2020-07-24
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:40:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25484083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GaylaTM/pseuds/GaylaTM
Summary: It is through Nino that she learns true friendship and it is through Kim, that she learns not all friendships last.It is through Alya she learns to grow and through Juleka she learns how to help others grow.Through her parents she learned how to love and how to be loved.Luka taught her how to start a relationship and how to end one.Chloe taught her that a little understanding can go a long way.Kagami taught her how to fight back and Adrien taught her how to choose her battles.From Tikki, she learns how to believe in herself and from Neusa, she learns how to believe in others.From Lila, she learns how to move on.From Damien, she learns who she should hold on to.Her name is Marinette Dupain-Cheng. She learns, she grows, she lives.
Relationships: Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/Damian Wayne, Minor Luka Couffaine/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug - Relationship, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 11
Kudos: 84





	Marinette Dupain-Cheng

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, I wrote this in a fit of passion after I got annoyed with the writers of Miraculous fucking up their own characters. Full disclosure, I only watched the first season all the way through a few episodes from the other seasons. From there I just read about the episodes. I tend to over-analyze characters so here we go.
> 
> I also slid in backwards to the Maribat fandom and I'm in hell. Daminette has consumed my soul. Who knew my childhood would come back for me like this.
> 
> Something important to note is that Marinette and her home both look more like their concept art than what she looks like in canon because that actually makes her look biracial and live in a multicultural home. Representation is important. This is also gonna be a slow burn fic in literally every sense of the term.

When Marinette Dupain-Chang was eleven years old, she learned what cancer truly is.

Her Maman had suddenly collapsed while she was at school and she didn’t even know until she made it home. Though she was happy to see her Nonna, she was also incredibly confused. Last she heard, the older woman was in Italy and didn’t plan on visiting until her birthday that summer. She was even more confused when she was introduced to her Nonna’s ex-husband, her Papa’s papa and her Grandpère. Her Grandpère who disowned the family when he and her Nonna divorced shortly after her parents’ wedding. She was happy to see them, but she was still confused why they were here. 

Even more so when they drove her to the hospital. 

When her Papa scooped her up into his arms upon her arrival, trembling with barely repressed sobs, she knew something was terribly wrong. Tom Dupain is an emotional man and is not ashamed of it in the slightest, but Marinette had never seen him so _distraught._ So _afraid._ Seeing him like this scared her. She hugged him tightly and looked around for her Maman. Maman always explained what was going on.

She wasn’t there.

“Papa, where’s Maman?” Her little voice seemed to echo along the sterile white walls of the hospital. Her Maman’s absence and her Papa’s distress turned her fear to worry that gnawed at her insides. What felt like a stone settled her stomach, heavy and uncomfortable. What’s going on? Why does everyone look so sad? Did something happen to Maman? Why wasn’t anyone _saying_ anything?

Eventually, her Papa pulled back to look at her. His face was a red mess of tears and there was not a trace of his usual happy, silly self. There’s just weariness and sadness. The stone in her stomach rolled uncomfortably and she felt like she was going to be sick. What happened to hurt her Papa so? What he said next nearly caused her heart to stop.

Cancer.

Her Maman had _cancer._

She doesn’t remember anything that happened after.

* * *

Nino and Kim visited her after her second day of missed school. No one really knew why she wasn’t at school or why the Dupain-Cheng Bakery had been closed past it’s usual Monday and Tuesday[1]. Everyone was worried. Seeing how they were Marinette’s closest friends, the two boys volunteered to bring her schoolwork, notes and well wishes from her friends and classmates. 

They didn’t expect a red eyed Tom leading them to Marinette’s room. In his grief and struggle to sort everything out, he had forgotten to call the school. Sabine wouldn’t have let him forget, but she wasn’t there. 

They also didn’t expect Marinette to throw herself at them as soon as she saw them and sob. The two fell back from surprise and looked at each other in confusion as they wrapped their arms around the smaller girl in a group hug. They didn’t know what was going on. They just held her close while she cried and asked, “Why my Maman?”

Not long after, Marinette fell asleep after exhausting herself with crying. Tom put her to bed and thanked the boys for coming to see her. He gave them both a fresh bag of pastries to share with their families as he led them to the door. Before they left, Kim asked, “Mr. Tom? Why did Marinette cry so much?”

When Tom told them, they raced home to cry themselves. Cancer is such a scary word. Why did such a scary thing have to happen to such sweet people? 

* * *

The week passed in a blur for Marinette and the bakery remained closed for the entirety of it. Nino and Kim came by after school every day to give her homework, help her with anything she didn’t understand, tell her what was going on at school and to distract her from everything going on. They played video games, cracked jokes and did everything they could to bring up her mood. She really couldn’t ask for better friends. 

Her grandparents had put aside their problems and differences to be there for their son and granddaughter. They had to be there for each other.

Marinette was told that her mother has thyroid cancer and that they can get her better within a year. She hoped they were right. Everyone always said that cancer’s a killer, please, spare her Maman. She didn’t want her Maman to die. She was only eleven, she still needed her. The doctors promised to take care of her; they better keep it. 

Her Papa and grandparents were doing their best for her, but she knew they were hurt, too. When she started sleeping on her Maman’s side of the bed like a small child, it wasn’t just because she was lonely. It was mostly because she could hear her Papa cry alone late at night for his wife and love at the hospital. With her there, maybe they could be less lonely in their grief. 

Her Nonna has decided to stay in Paris indefinitely to help where she could. She took care of Marinette, took her places to keep her mind off of her grief. She helped man the register at the bakery when it became too busy for just her Papa and Grandpère. She helped with catering and taking care of the house with her Papa. Sometimes, Marinette would catch her staring at pictures or pieces of furniture that related to her Maman with a sad, faraway look. Maybe when she took her granddaughter out, she was trying to distract herself as well.

While Marinette never really knew her Grandpère, she quickly learned that he was trying for them. From what she had heard, he was as stubborn as a mule and valued tradition above all else. A man with a temper who snapped at the slightest thing that annoyed him or went against his beliefs. Despite that, Marinette could tell he cared. Since he came to them, he did his best to rein in his temper and do things as his son usually ran them. She could tell that this wasn’t how he usually did things, but he was doing his best to support his son. Didn’t stop him from being stern and grimacing at the changes to his recipes her parents had made, but they could appreciate his effort. 

There were all hurting, but doing their best to pull through.

* * *

When Marinette returned to school on Monday, she was surprised to find her desk flooded with cards from her classmates, teachers and friends from other classes all wishing her and her family the best or offering words of comfort or support. Needless to say, she was overwhelmed with gratitude and burst into tears once more. It was expected and understandable given the week she had and how difficult the road to her mother’s recovery will be. 

What wasn’t expected was Chloe being the first one to hug Marinette and comfort her as she babbled on about how thankful she was for everyone. Despite Chloe’s bullying and harsh exterior, she wasn’t heartless. But she did let go when the others came to hug the smaller girl, refusing to be surrounded by her emotional classmates. 

After everyone calmed down, it was Chloe who volunteered to go with Marinette to the bathroom to wash her face and no one dared to object. The short walk had been awkward and quiet with only Marinette’s sniffling as her tears finally slowed. Unknown to most of their class, Chloe and Marinette have a history that goes further back than they all realize. The two girls and Kim had known each other since pré-maternelle and were close friends during their formative years. Those were the days when Chloe would declare she would be the next top model with Marinette as her exclusive designer and Kim would be her Olympic swimmer husband. 

Then Audrey Bourgeis left for New York and Chloe changed. 

“Thank you, Chloe,” Marinette whispered after washing her face. The blonde merely glanced at Marinette and nodded. She expected that to be it, a momentary kindness from the school bully. Though she is mean, she is not heartless. She’s still a person, not a monster. Chloe’s next words are like a punch to the gut:

“I know what it’s like when your mom suddenly disappears.”

A sudden _understanding_ coursed through her and she nearly cried again. Suddenly, everything made sense. Too much sense.

It had taken her own grief and devastation to recognize Chloe’s.

Chloe’s mother left her. She suddenly walked out of her life.

Marinette’s mother had cancer and couldn’t be there for her anymore.

Where Marinette would cry and seek comfort, Chloe would lash out and hurt people like she was hurt. The people around Marinette held her tightly where the people around Chloe pushed her away. Marinette had a stable support system where Chloe had no one. 

If a mother is supposed to love you, why did Chloe’s leave? Why didn’t she remember her daughter’s birthday? Her likes? Her _name_? Why didn’t Audrey Bourgeis love her daughter?

She remembered the day Chloe changed. They were only five years old and finally starting L’école after summer break. She remembered running up to her best friend to tell her about her break and how excited she was to go to school with her for real. Marinette had babbled happily to her friend about her mother’s visit to their family in the Sichuan province of China. How she brought back a pretty cheongsam for her and her promise to take her next year. How her Maman had finally begun teaching her Sichuanese Mandarin.

Next thing she knew, Chloe had pushed her to the ground and screamed, “What does it matter that your mom did that for you? It doesn’t!”

Marinette had cried and asked Chloe how she could be so mean before running away. Things had changed after that. Everyone saw what Chloe did to her best friend and became afraid of her. They didn’t learn how her mother left until a week later. Looking back, she realizes how lonely that must have been. Her mother left and then everyone started avoiding her out of fear.

How badly did she hurt the girl?

“Chloe, I’m so sorry,” Marinette said after several minutes of silence. She’s sorry because after all these years, she finally understood. She’s sorry because even though she was only five years old and didn’t know any better, they were still _friends_ and Marinette still _left her alone_. Chloe had been left alone, abandoned by her best friend and everyone around her. Yet there she was, comforting her “nemesis” because she understands the pain. A pain she wouldn’t wish on anyone, even the one who turned her back on her. 

Chloe’s eyes widened and her lips parted slightly in shock. They stared at each other as a multitude of emotions flowed through them. Regret, understanding, fear, hope, longing, _forgiveness_. After what feels like an eternity, Chloe closed her mouth and nodded. Her expression returned to its usual haughtiness, but there’s a softness to her eyes. She turned to leave the bathroom and Marinette followed close behind. 

“We were only five, Dupain-Cheng. It’s in the past,” Chloe told her in a quiet voice. For the first time in years, her voice wasn’t harsh or demanding. She almost sounded _resigned_ and Marinette didn’t like that. What she said next had Marinette wishing she had realized sooner. That _anyone_ had seen the pain through the anger and helped Chloe, “Forget the past. This is who I am now. This is all people will accept from me. They won’t believe me even if I try to change, so why bother? I’ll always be nothing but a bully in their eyes. But that doesn’t matter. Because I’ll do whatever it takes to be exceptional.”

Audrey Bourgeis wouldn’t accept anything less.

Chloe didn’t say anything to her for the rest of the day. Or the rest of the week really. And when she did speak to Marinette, she didn’t actively antagonize her. She left her alone when she tormented the others. Perhaps she had decided that Marinette had enough going on outside of school. 

Mean, but not heartless. 

When Marinette had visited her Maman in the hospital that afternoon, she showed her the cards and told her about what happened in the bathroom. About her realization and what Chloe said. She found herself crying again in the arms of her mother. Crying for her Maman, for Chloe, for herself and for the loss of a little girl with golden hair who called her best friend “Nettie”. 

* * *

The weeks went on, the family learned how to function without Sabine there. It was difficult, but they slowly started smiling again. The doctors had told them that they caught the cancer early enough to get rid of it within six months. There was hope to have Sabine back with them soon. They visited her in the hospital regularly and it slowly became easier to answer questions.

“Where’s Sabine?” 

“What happened to your wife, Tom?” 

“Your parents are helping out? Why the sudden need?”

“Why isn’t your mom at the bakery, Marinette?”

It wasn’t long before everyone knew what happened and those questions turned to condolences. It was sweet, but it was driving her mad. 

* * *

Without her Maman, it was much harder to run the bakery. She and her Papa were always a team. They handled everything themselves and rarely had any outside help. They were always perfectly in sync and could accomplish together what would normally take four people. 

But Maman’s gone. Her Papa and Grandpère didn’t have the same synergy her parents did. They could work together just fine, but it wasn’t as magically efficient as it was with her Maman there. They needed more people to help out now. Her Nonna would help on register and with catering. Her Papa and Grandpère couldn’t really leave the kitchen. Not to mention her Nonna had her own job she needed to check up on and such. So they needed to hire some help. 

And that’s how she met Neusa.

Neusa was a very pretty girl with thick, curly dark hair that reached her waist and round, brown eyes that shined with life. Her skin was a warm golden brown and she didn’t seem much taller than her Maman who was barely five feet tall. She was 16 and part of an independent studies program. She mainly completed her studies at home with her adoptive grandfather and only had to go to school once a week for a check in with her teacher and other members of her independent study program. Her French was a bit awkward since she had moved from America four months ago, but she still communicated well. She got on well with customers and livened the mood at the bakery. She was ready and willing to do any job she needed to and never caused much of a fuss. 

She was a very kind and cheerful young woman who liked to smile and laugh. She got along easily with everyone she spoke to, even if they were as shy as Marinette. She was incredibly patient when getting to know her and encouraged her passions. At first, she had been incredibly nervous about speaking to the older girl. Then somehow the topic got to video games and the conversation flowed much more easily. She found she liked talking to Neusa. She was very funny and never seemed to take anything personal. 

She was also great at advice. Marinette could go to the older girl and talk about things she didn’t want her family to know. She didn’t judge her and never forced her to say anything she didn’t want to. She could ask for insight or a safe space to vent. It was nice.

In just a few short weeks, Neusa felt like the older sister she never had.

Sweet, confident, beautiful and dedicated. Marinette wanted to be like her. Neusa knew her worth and wasn’t afraid to speak out when she needed to. If an injustice happened in the bakery, she didn’t hesitate to say something. 

There had been a person harassing one of their customers, rare, but it happened. Before anyone could do anything, Neusa had stepped between them and firmly told the person to leave. Harassment was never okay and could not be tolerated in this establishment. The person was a good foot taller than she was, but she stood her ground. She had stared into their eyes without faltering, almost daring them to go against her. They had stood staring for a tense minute before the person gave up and left in a huff. After making sure the victim was okay, she had returned to the register as if nothing had happened.

Marinette wouldn’t mind if Neusa stayed after her Maman came back. 

* * *

Neusa was a very grounding presence for Marinette and offered insight from a new perspective. She was always honest and answered any question she asked. She would also tell her when her words or actions would hurt others or when she was in the wrong. But she was always gentle with her explanations and reprimands. It was never framed as an accusation, but an observation. Even if it was embarrassing, Marinette appreciated being told what she was doing wrong. 

It helped her to see when she was acting out of grief. 

She honestly didn’t understand _why_ she had snapped at her father that day. The bakery had been ridiculously busy that day so of course her father didn’t have time to step away after school and play video games with her. He wouldn’t have been able to even if it wasn’t busy. She _knew_ this, so why did she even ask? Why was she upset by an answer she already knew? She had made such a rude and abrupt exit, she had shocked even her Grandpère! What would they think of her now?

A knock on her trapdoor had startled her out of her thoughts. She barely had a chance to say anything when Neusa peeked her head in with an apologetic smile, “Sorry, I shoulda waited until you said something. Do you wanna talk about what happened or do you need a minute to process things? What do you need right now?”

Honestly, she was a little miffed that Neusa entered without her permission, but she quickly let go of that irritation. Maybe she needed to talk her feelings and thoughts through. Maybe Neusa could bring some clarity. She moved to make space on her chaise and continued staring at the floor in front of her, “I want to talk.”

Marinette didn’t look up even when Neusa took a seat beside her. It was silent, neither of them speaking for a good while. It’s obvious Neusa wanted Marinette to speak first, but didn’t force her. She let her collect her thoughts and decide when she was ready. Eventually, Marinette took a deep breath, “I don’t know why I got mad.”

More silence.

“I get it. Papa’s exhausted. He and Grandpère spend a lot of time in the kitchen to keep things running while Maman is gone. Nonna does catering and the register on top of her other job. You help on register and you’ve been learning how to bake as well. Everyone is doing their part and everyone is tired. I don’t even know _why_ I asked when I _know_ they’re tired and busy. Why did I ask and then be upset when I knew the answer already?” Her emotions felt like a lump of tangled strings. They’re knotted together and only get more tangled when she pulls. Pulling one caused five more to move. They tightened and became more frustrating to navigate. 

“I don’t get it, Neusa!” She threw her hands up in frustration then sank back into the chaise. She looked to the older girl, absolutely confused, and she smiled back reassuringly. Marinette sighed and looked up at the ceiling; there’s too much going on for her to understand. 

“Well, how do you feel about not getting it?” Neusa asked with a curious tilt of her head and brought her legs up to cross under her. 

“Frustrated,” she had answered immediately and turned her head to look at her friend again. It was almost overwhelming how charged she was. Everything felt like it was buzzing and she needed to do something about it.

“How do you feel about everyone being busy?”

Marinette frowned and opened her mouth to speak, but found she had nothing to say. How _did_ she feel about it? So far, she’d just been upset about herself. She was sad and worried for her Maman, but that didn’t answer the question. She’s worried about her Papa overworking himself, but that didn’t feel quite right either. It felt like looking for one string in her mess of emotions and she had to pick at other strings to find it.

There’s one question to answer, but so many related scenarios kept coming up. The anxiety around her Grandpère, her own exhaustion, unwillingness to bother Kim and Nino, regret over Chloe. How did all of this make her feel?

“Am I… Am I lonely?” It felt _right_ when she said it out loud. She blinked several times as realization overtook her expression, “Neusa, I think I’m lonely.”

“And it’s okay to feel lonely, Starshine,” Neusa said quietly; there’s a twinge of sadness to her smile. Without another word, she pulled the younger girl into a hug as she familiarized herself with the feeling of loneliness. But was this really the first time she felt lonely? Or the first time she could put a name to it? She wasn’t sure, but it didn’t really matter in the end. 

The strings were still tangled, but she loosened one section to pull loneliness free. To her surprise, comfort was pulled free along with it. But as she settled into the warmth of her pseudo sister’s arms around her, she understood why. 

* * *

The doctor’s said her Maman’s treatment was almost done. The surgery from two months ago was a success. Her body didn’t react badly to her new hormone treatment like it did the first one. All that was left was radiation therapy. 

Most of the cancer was removed with the surgery, but there were still some cells remaining. However, the remaining cells were very few and her Maman didn’t want to go through with another surgery. So they decided on radiation therapy to remove the last of it.

But Marinette wouldn’t be allowed to see her mother at all during this treatment.

Radiation is a tricky treatment to go through with. For some, it worked well. For others, it backfired badly. And then there were those it did nothing for. During treatment, people were told to keep their distance to minimize contact with the radiation. Children were not to be allowed near a radiated person and she, unfortunately, was still a child. The rest of her family could still see her mother as long as they maintained a distance of at least six feet. It didn’t feel fair, but she knew it was for her own safety. She still didn’t like it.

The treatment could take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months. She understood, but she wasn’t happy. None of her family was, but there was nothing they could do. Everyone wanted Sabine to make a full, quick recovery. 

That didn’t make those two months any less painful.

Two long months of fears, tears and outbursts. During that time, Marinette found herself with more restless energy she didn’t know what to do with. She tried practicing her martial arts, but found it much more difficult without her Maman to guide and teach her. That was when Neusa told her about her adoptive grandfather who knew some martial arts. So the next day, Marinette went home with Neusa after her shift to meet her grandfather.

And that was how Marinette met one Wang Fu.

He was a kind old man who ran a small massage parlor and had a strong fondness for tea. He was very helpful with her martial arts and seemed to have wise words for every occasion. He was patient and never got mad at her when she made a mistake. No wonder Neusa was so good at listening to her and helping her with problems. After practicing, she would have tea and snacks with Mr. Fu and Neusa until someone came to pick her up. That’s how she started spending most of her afternoons after school. Go home, finish her homework, go home with Neusa, practice with Mr. Fu and then go home for dinner.

It was always fun to visit Mr. Fu and Neusa. Their home just felt _magical._ It was small and comfortable, much like her own home. Despite there only being two of them, the air buzzed with life. At first, she had thought their home was filled with fairies. She would see small, colorful things dart about in the corners of her vision, disappearing as soon as she turned her head to look. When she asked about it, Neusa and Mr. Fu simply looked confused. The fairies disappeared after that.

Spending time with them was always relaxing and would distract her from her ever growing anxiety. It was easy to talk to them. Despite everything going on around her and the tangled mess of thoughts and feelings in her head, she would step through the threshold of their home and be calm. A moment of peace in the chaos of her life. 

As Marinette visited more, she noticed how she mostly talked about herself. They would ask questions, she would answer, maybe tell a story and then they would ask questions about her story. It was always about her. 

Despite how much she talked to Neusa, she didn’t know much about her. Neusa talked and joked with everyone a lot, but it was never about herself. She got to know everyone, but no one really knew her. 

So Marinette started asking questions. Does she know what happened to her parents? Where did she live before Paris? How did she meet Mr. Fu? What does she like to do? What did she want to do in the future? Her favorite food? Favorite color? 

The sudden interest in her and her life had thrown Neusa for a loop, but the younger girl was determined to learn more about her friend. This earned her a laugh as she answered her questions. Her parents had given her up for adoption when she was very young because they could no longer provide for her and wanted to give her the best chance that they could. She thinks she was three or four. She was put into the foster care system after her orphanage closed down due to a lack of funding a few years later. Before Paris, she had lived with a few foster families in Gotham, New Jersey in America. She liked to sing in the shower and dance when no one was watching. She also thought her Nonna’s motorcycle was cool. She didn’t know what she wanted to do in the future. She’s not picky about her food but she really liked sweet things. Her favorite color’s black.

“I met Grandpa when I was with my last foster family. Some kids were trying to steal his bike and I stopped them. I waited by the bike until he came for it to make sure no one else tried to steal it. We chatted for a bit and then a month later, he adopted me. I wasn’t Neusa Amorette Gonzales anymore, I was Neusa Amorette Fu,” she had smiled brightly as she told the tale, but Marinette couldn’t. She couldn’t imagine what it must be like in foster care. Having to move around from family to family seemingly at random without any idea if she would be adopted. Never having a permanent home or a stable parental figure. Who had Neusa leaned on? How could she bear having to constantly leave her friends behind? What about families she got attached to?

“Wasn’t it lonely?”

The older girl took her time answering, contemplating what to say and how much. Marinette frowned, but waited patiently like Neusa had done for her so many times before. She wasn’t going to push her for information or rush her answer. Neusa never did that to her and it wouldn’t be fair if she did it. After several silent minutes, she finally spoke, “Sorry, Netta. I’m still getting used to the idea of a permanent place to stay. I’m not sure how much is okay for me to say or what’s okay for me to say.”

That had been enough answer for Marinette. She didn’t like it, but she understood. Her friend wasn’t comfortable enough to talk about her feelings yet. Whether that be because it still felt like she would eventually need to leave anyway or she didn’t know her own feelings, she didn’t know. Maybe there was an entirely different reason she didn’t even consider. 

Either way, she understood that Neusa was still adjusting and changed the subject. But her words would linger in the back of her mind for the rest of the day. Neusa felt the need to limit what she shared about herself. Felt the need to keep people from getting too attached to her. Felt the need to hide her feelings and hold herself back. Though Marinette sort of understood why, it still made her incredibly sad.

She hoped Neusa would start to see Paris as home soon. 

* * *

Finally, summer vacation came and with it, Marinette’s twelfth birthday. It was a small celebration, a picnic in the park with her friends and family. Mr. Fu couldn’t attend due to having a packed schedule at the parlor, but made up for it with a beautiful jade necklace for good fortune when he saw her next. It was a beautiful day with good food and good company. They spent the time chatting about plans for the summer, reminiscing and playing games. She was glad Neusa got along with Nino and Kim. Her pseudo brothers got along with her pseudo sister and she loved it. 

When it came time for presents, her Papa excused himself because he forgot his gift at home. He promised to be back soon with it. Kim got her a brand new sketchbook with a pack of her favorite gel pens and a promise to bring her back an ao dai when his family visits Vietnam. Nino made her a mixtape of songs and remixes that describe their friendship and how much it means to him. Neusa got her a baby blue sundress. Nonna got her the newest video game she wanted and promised her a trip to the amusement park. Her Grandpère got her a lovely new apron and made her birthday cake. She made sure to thank everyone with a hug.

Despite all the hardships she faced, she’s so lucky to have so many people who care. So many people who stayed by her side and supported her. So many people who gave her love when she needed it most. Marinette gave everyone a bright smile and did her best not to tear up, “Thank you so much everyone! It’s been a really hard year for me, but you’ve all kept me afloat when it felt like I was sinking. I’m really grateful for all your love and support.”

“Hold on, Princess Cake! There’s still one more present,” her father called out from behind her. She whirled around and her smile grew at the sight of her Papa. She started making her way over to hug him when he stepped aside to show someone hiding behind him. Someone very familiar.

“Maman?” There was a tremble to her voice as she took in the sight of her mother. Her mother who she hadn’t seen in two months. Her mother who had fought cancer and _won_. She was thinner, more tired and was definitely missing her eyebrows, but that was definitely her Maman. When she smiled, it was full of the same warmth and love that the young girl remembered. 

Her hands trembled as tears filled her eyes. Her Maman was _here_ . She was _alive_ and she would _stay_ alive. She was finally out of the hospital. Finally back by her side. 

She didn’t even notice her body move. She just knew she had run forward, vision blurry with tears, and wrapped her arms around her mother. She sobbed loudly and held the woman as if she would disappear at a moment’s notice. Her body shook from her overwhelming feelings and loud cries, but no one dared to get between them. 

“Happy birthday, baby,” Sabine whispered in her native tongue and that just made it more _real_ for Marinette. She sniffled as her mother pressed a kiss to the crown of her head, filling her with comfort and a feeling of home that she had missed. She looked up and put on her best smile despite her red face and watery eyes, 

“Welcome home, Maman.”

**Author's Note:**

> [1] I deadass researched the actual bakery that Tom and Sabine's is based off of and French labor laws to keep this as accurate to life as I could. Obviously I won't get everything, but Ima try y'all. Looking at the labor laws, there's no way they can keep the bakery open seven days a week with just the two of them. In Robocop Tom says they open every day at 7am seven days a week but that's literally illegal unless they hire more people to help them. Tom and Sabine also deserve breaks. I also did a lot of research about what kind of schooling to give Neusa and decided independent study was best for her.
> 
> Fun Fact, I'm basing Marinette's experience with her mom having thyroid cancer on my experience with my mom having thyroid cancer. 
> 
> Anyway, I hope my rambling and over-analyzing was enjoyable for someone. I can't promise quick updates because I have several stories planned and absolutely no creative impulse control. Be safe, Be kind, Be happy.


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